Images found on the net - origin unknown but all 1 RTR. Possibly from Les Dinning ?

3.

1
RTR Go To War. Message from the CO to the lads.

4.

General Ellis Battle Flag

5.

Steve "Cleckheaton" Smith - Memorial - Palace Bks, Ulster

6.

Regimental Standards

7.

Silver Tank In Bootle Town Hall

8.

Herford & Hildesheim, newpaper images

9.

Jeff Lyman's MBE Notice in London Gazette - 1991

10.

A Sqn Hong Kong Snippet

11.

Korea - Page From a Book

12.

Cambrai Lunch 1994 - Image

13.

Tankie Officer Hid Under German Tank

14.

General Sir Jeremy Blacker RIP

15.

Major
General Ian Baker CBE

16.

Extract from
a book. 1 RTR in Aden

17.

RAC in VE
Day Parade London

1. The British Army Cemetery at El Alamein

The British
Cemetery has thousands upon thousands of rock hewn tombstones arranged in
straight rows amidst a fenced garden. Most of the soldiers were British
8th Army led by General Montgomery. The Battle began on October 23, 1942
and lasted until November 4th. In all, 35,476 British and Commonwealth
soldiers lost their lives in the three years of the North African
campaigns of WW II. Allied Forces involved at Alamein Beach:

Sgt. John Mcconnichie MM and his tank Diana crossing the Orne Bridge in Normandy

3. Message from CO 1 RTR
on deployment to Iraq 2003

Message
from Lt Col Kidd to the lads on 21 March 2003: TO ALL RANKS JT NBC REGT
(alias 1 RTR)

AS WE APPROACH H HOUR ON THE EVE OF THE REGIMENT’S FIRST DEPLOYMENT INTO
BATTLE IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT THIS SPECIAL OCCASION IS MARKED. YOU ARE A
REGIMENT MADE UP OF VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BROUGHT TOGETHER, IN SOME
CASES, AT VERY SHORT NOTICE. YOU HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO WORK HARD IN SOME
VERY CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES TO PULL TOGETHER AS A TEAM AND TAKE ON THE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR A CAPABILITY IGNORED BY MANY OVER THE YEARS. THIS YOU
HAVE ACHIEVED THROUGH YOUR OWN SKILL, DEDICATION AND PRIDE. YOU ARE NOW
REGARDED AS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF THE FORCE. YOU ARE
PREPARED TO OPERATE IN CONDITIONS THAT MANY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COPE WITH
AND THAT YOU DO THIS WITH SUCH CONFIDENCE HAS CAPTURED THE ADMIRATION AND
IMAGINATION OF MANY. REMEMBER, THAT AT A CERTAIN TIME AT A CERTAIN PLACE
THE PART THAT YOU WILL PLAY WILL BE THE MOST IMPORTANT ANYWHERE ON THE
BATTLEFIELD. FEAR NAUGHT. P J KIDD LIEUTENANT COLONEL COMMANDING OFFICER.
http://www.firstroyaltankregiment.com/html/news.asp

4.

http://www.firstaif.info/fffaif/tanks.htmis the site where I found
this, the original General Ellis RTR Battle Flag. Unfortunately they have
had it hanging upside down all these years. There is no way of knowing if
it is the genuine article as it was purchased from a shop in France by the
current, Australian, owners.

This is an article from a regimental news- letter 1957/58. It is copied word for word. If my memory serves me right it was written by the Adjutant Capt Beede-Cox.

During the months before squadron training began our three tiny and parched
training areas hung with clouds of dust above each shaan (hill). In preparation for the sallying forth of “ B “ Squadron, who were first to brave the triple-headed monster, the gods sent down a sharp short shower of rain. And so without so without so much as a shower of dust to give reason for a gaily coloured neck-scarf, the boys gaily set out. Alas!
The short sharp shower was in no way a preparation: it was a warning. Seven days later a damp looking procession splashed their way back to the tank park.

The rain no longer came and “ C “ Squadron, though mindful of the weathers treachery, set out in good
order, capes and ground sheets well stowed. They were not to know that Hong Kong temperature could drop to such an impossible low level. How could they if they had never wintered here? Seven days later, faces frozen blue (dare one say ashen), softly swearing they returned.

Somewhat thoughtfully “ A “ Squadron, vehicles laden with clandestine blankets and ground sheets, trod the twice bitten trail. Quite gently a philosophical Chinese sun peeped through to warm the blue- eyed boys to give them a cherry pink complexion and to nurture their apple blossom haloes. Some days after their return their sun-tans
were still visible

11. Korea, Page from a Book

12. Cambrai Lunch 1994

origin unknown

13. Tankie Officer

Daily Sketch Mon 3rd June 1940

14. General Jeremy Blacker

General Sir Jeremy Blacker KCB
CBE 1 RTR

Died 17 March 2005

An officer and a gentleman hardly begins to describe
him. Sadly missed by all who had the honour to know him.

The text is reproduced below:

GENERAL JEREMY BLACKER – OBITUARY

As a young officer in the
1960s, Jeremy Blacker came to the appreciation that while, short of war
with the 3oviet Union, large-scale tank engagements were unlikely, the
technical aspects of armoured warfare offered another a challenge and an
outlet for his formidable intellect and energy.

He saw active service in the
Middle East and Northern Ireland and commanded 1st Royal Tank Regiment in
Germany, while the Warsaw Pact forces were still the major threat to
peace, and subsequently 11th Armoured Brigade in the same theatre. But
while ‘us technical expertise drew him remorselessly into that field — and
almost certainly denying him command a division — his consequent
contribution to technical development and procurement brought him great
credit.

Anthony Stephen Jeremy Blacker
was born in Singapore in 1939, the son of Kenneth A. Blacker, and educated
at Sherborne and RMA Sandhurst, from where he was commissioned into the
Royal Tank Regiment in 1959. He applied his technical bent early by taking
an in-service degree in mechanical sciences at Corpus Christi College,
Cambridge, graduating BA in 1964. &side from this break, he served for
eight years with 1st Royal Tanks; first in Hong Kong, the garrison of
which then included a regiment of Comet tanks to help to deter any Chinese
border incursion, then with Centurions in Germany and in the Western Aden
Protectorate, where an armoured presence was required in support of the
civil power in 1966, and finally in Bahrain.

He returned to England as an
instructor at the Royal Armoured corps Signal School at Bovington in 1968,
before attending the one-year :technical staff course at the Royal
\4ilitary College of Science at Shrivenham and then the Staff College,
Camberley; his showing there led to us selection for the Military
Operations Directorate in the MoD.

When he returned to his
regiment in 1974, it had converted to armoured cars, of which he
commanded a squadron in the “bandit country” of Omagh, Tyrone and
Fermanagh for 20 months before going to Cyprus.

Promoted lieutenant-colonel in
1976 at the early age in peacetime of 37, he became the military assistant
to the Vice-Chief of the General Staff. This was a exacting assignment to
an invariably exacting individual; in Blacker’s case, first to the shrewd
and calm Lieutenant-General Sir William Scotter and then, from early 1978,
to the articulate and vigorous Lieutenant-General Sir John Stanier.
Blacker’s composure suited these two quite different generals rather well.
It was certainly good on-the-job training for high military office.

He took command of 1st Royal
Tank Regiment, still in the armoured reconnaissance role, in Germany in
1979. Equipped with Scorpion and Scimitar tracked armoured vehicles, his
command offered opportunity for flair in the fight for information, even
on exercises. He rose eagerly to the situation, taking a regiment with an
already good reputation to new levels of performance. Although he was
professional and ambitious, care for his soldiers and the welfare of their
families stood equally high in his priorities.

Promoted colonel in 1981, he
went to the Royal Military College of Science as director of studies. This
absorbed his interests, but he took care to avoid any re-emergence of the
“absent-minded professor” reputation earned at the Staff College— when he
once promised someone a game of squash, went to change and promptly forgot
all about it.

Command of 11th Armoured
Brigade in the 1st Armoured Division in Germany at the end of 1982
confirmed that he was under consideration for the Army’s higher echelon.
Competition was intense and often pursued with no quarter given, but in
the assessment of the divisional commander he emerged as the most decisive
and quick-thinking of his brigade commanders, with a remarkable sense of
how to use the ground to best tactical advantage. The 11th Armoured
Brigade was also particularly self- confident and happy at this time,
because of the same caring attitude he had consistently shown when
commanding his regiment. From 1985 to 1987 he was principal staff officer
to the Chief of Defence Staff; for the first few months to the always
considerate and innovative Field Marshal Sir Edwin Bramall and then to
Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Fieldhouse. Both men placed heavy demands on
him and he thrived on the challenge. He was advanced to CBE in 1987,
having been appointed OBE on conclusion of his time as military assistant
to the Vice-Chief of the General Staff.

On promotion to major-general
in 1987, he went back to Shrivenham as commandant, a post to which he was
admirably suited by experience and personality, but he felt it might mark
the end of his chances for further promotion.

Return to Whitehall as
Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operational Requirements) while very
much his mark was still in two-star rank and offered no promise of
preferment. Then, two years later, he was appointed Master-General of the
Ordnance, a post dating from 1414.

Since the 1960s the incumbent
has been responsible for the procurement from industry of the Army’s
weapons and fighting equipment At the time of his appointment in 1991 it
carried the rank of lieutenant-general, membership of the Army Board and
almost certain promotion to 4-star rank. He was knighted KCB in 1992 and
retired with the rank of general in 1995.

He was Colonel-Commandant of
the Royal Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, 1987-92, of the Royal Tank
Regiment, 1988-95 and of the Royal Armoured Corps, 1993-95 and Honorary
Colonel of the Royal Yeomanry and Westminster Dragoons from 1997 to 2004.

After leaving the Army, he
lived in Wiltshire playing golf and the stock market, both with success,
until his death from cancer. He married Julia Mary Trew in 1973. She
survives him with two daughters. General Sir Jeremy Blacker, KCB, CBE,
Master-General of the Ordnance, 1991-95, was born on May 6, 1939. He died
on March 17, 2005, aged 65.

A memorial service for the late
General Sir Jeremy Blacker was held at the College Chapel, RMA Sandhurst,
Camberley on Tuesday 17th May. There were a lot of members of the regiment there
who served with him from the 1960s onwards. Mike Seymour, Barry McCombe, Rob
McAffee, H Robinson and others attended. The above text was also repeated in The
Tank Vol 87 No 772 June 2005.

15. Major General Ian Baker CBE, MBE

On occasions Ian Baker’s
unrelenting enthusiasm could have a disconcerting effect on less-energetic
people around him. Yet nothing deterred or slowed him down; and he had
much to show for his efforts. He could laugh at his enthusiasms too and
would tell the story of how the dynamic leadership of his tank squadron
along a German highway necessitated extensive and expensive repairs. Ian
Helstrip Baker was the son of Capt H H Baker, who, after enlisting
underage with a group of school friends, fought with E Battalion of the
Tank Corps at Cambrai in November 1917. He was educated at St Peter’s
School, York, and attended the short wartime course at St Edmund Hall,
Oxford, before joining the first post war intake at RMA Sandhurst. He was
quick to make his mark there and, in the absence of any cadet hierarchy
from more senior terms, commanded one of the four companies on parade for
the presentation of academy colours by King George VI in June 1947. He was
considered a strong runner for the Sword of Honour and it came as a
surprise to many when it went elsewhere. He was commissioned into the
Royal Artillery in July 1948 and served with 10th Field Regiment and then
2nd RHA in the British Army of the Rhine before transferring to the RTR in
1955. He attended Staff College, Camberley, in 1959 and went to Malaya to
join HO 17th Gurkha Division for the final year of the communist
insurrection. On his return he was given the challenging command of the
only parachute-delivered squadron of the RAC. This was an experimental
enterprise intended to provide newly landed paratroops with a heavier and
longer range antitank capability than was available within the infantry.
The Malkara guided weapons systems launchers were dropped on platforms
each sustained by four 66ft parachutes, whilst the operators descended
using the customary one. As one can imagine there was plenty of
difficulties to be overcome but Baker had the unit operational on schedule
and was appointed MBE for his pains. He returned to Camberley as a member
of the DS in 1965 and was promoted brevet lieutenant colonel after a year,
giving him a status above his regimental peers, then going to the MOD to
join the Chiefs of Staff Secretariat, where inter-service conflicts of
interest could be seen at first hand. Command of 1 RTR, a stint as Regt
Colonel and command of 7th Armoured Brigade in BAOR followed in rapid
succession. Whilst in the latter post he instituted an experiment entitled
‘Square Rat’ from the brigade’s Desert Rats nickname, to test the square
brigade structure. This was a move away from the three company
organisations of the armoured regiments and mechanised infantry battalions
that constrained tactics and impaired performance after casualties, by
substituting a four and four structure. Results showed the effectiveness
of Baker’s proposals decisively; his recommendations were sent to MOD by
his divisional commander, Maj Gen (later Field Marshal Lord) Bramall, and
were eventually accepted as standard practice.

After a year at the Royal College
of Defence Studies in London, he went to HO UK Land Forces, Wilton, as
BGS, for which service he was advanced to CBE. He left before completion
of his tenure to undertake a short service fellowship at St Catherine’s
College. Cambridge. He was promoted Major General in 1978 to become
Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operational Requirements)
responsible for the acquisition of new weapons and equipment. This was an
immensely important and indeed difficult task to undertake with success,
presenting as it did a constant conflict between needs and financial
resources. Baker tackled it with his customary vigour, undertaking
detailed research into each project to achieve a timely result.
Inevitably, given the slow pace of development of new systems, it was left
to his successors to reap the benefit of his efforts.In 1980 he returned
to York as GOC of the extensive NE District stretching from the Borders
south to the Humber. While he was there, a strike of prison officers,
called for the deployment of regular troops to ensure prison security This
was a most unpopular task, not the least because the pay of the striking
prison staff was significantly higher than that of the troops substituted
for them. Baker visited every prison daily where his troops were on duty,
giving forthright briefings to the press clamouring around each site with
a force and passion seldom heard in such circumstances. Nothing escaped
his notice or comment, with the result that the Army received much
favourable coverage. As his record suggested that further advancement may
have been on the cards, his retirement at 54 came as a surprise to some of
his contemporaries. Yet, no doubt with happy recollections of his two
brief experiences of university life, he applied for and was selected as
secretary and head of administration of University College, London. There
followed nine of possibly the most rewarding years of his active life. His
involvement with all aspects of life at UCL and with individuals of all
ages and disciplines set an example that brought widespread admiration.
The visit of HM The Queen to open the work designed by Sir Hugh Casson for
completion of the Front Quad in 1985 found him in his element, insisting
on meticulous timing and a full dress rehearsal by every member of staff
involved. On leaving UCL, he undertook a degree course in modern history
at the Open University, graduating with a first in 1995. He had been a
Colonel Commandant of the AIR from 1981 to 1986 but latterly he gave much
of his time to regimental affairs and history. He was also proud to be a
Rotarian and worked tirelessly to help raise money for local and
international charities. He married Susan (Sally) Lock in 1956. She
survives him with a son and daughter. Their elder son predeceased him.

16. Copied from a book and passed to me

17. Victory Parade - London

Caption reads:
Cars of the Royal Armoured Corps passing the Tower of London were followed by
latest types of Cruiser tanks. Much of this armour
was designed specially for European operations and came into use for the first
time after the D Day landings. Taken from The War Illustrated Vol
10 No 236 dated 5 July 1946.